Zoho’s founder, Sridhar Vembu, has shared his strong opinion on the suspension of Anthropic’s Fable 5 and Mythos 5 artificial intelligence models. He also pointed out that this development is a reminder that countries can no longer depend on globalisation to access such critical technologies.
In a post on X, Vembu described the move as a significant moment for the technology industry and urged India to strengthen its own AI capabilities. “Technology is the ultimate weapon. National sovereignty, national security, all of it is now about technology,” he wrote. “Globalization is dead and Bharat must find her own way ahead,” Vembu added.
The comments came after Anthropic announced that it had disabled access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 following a directive from the US government. This has raised a debate in the tech community about AI sovereignty, export controls and the future availability of advanced AI systems outside the United States.
What Led to the Suspension of Fable 5 and Mythos 5?
US Government Directive Forces Action
Anthropic said the US government, citing national security authorities, issued an export-control directive requiring the company to suspend access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all foreign nationals, whether they are inside or outside the United States. The order also covers foreign national employees working at Anthropic.
The company received the directive on June 12, which forced the organisation to disable two models and ensure compliance. However, the company also clarified that access to its other AI models remains unaffected.
Concerns Over AI Safeguards
According to Anthropic, the government has not shared detailed information about the national security concerns. However, Anthropic said its understanding is that authorities believe a method exists to bypass, or “jailbreak,” Fable 5’s safeguards.
Anthropic disputed the severity of the concern, stating that it reviewed the reported technique and found only a small number of previously known vulnerabilities. The company added that similar findings can be identified using other publicly available AI models.
The company also noted that extensive testing involving government agencies, third-party organisations and internal teams found Fable 5’s safeguards to be stronger than those of earlier models.
While complying with the directive, Anthropic said it believes the action is a “misunderstanding” and is working to restore access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 as soon as possible.
Vembu Pushes for Open-Source AI and Self-Reliance
After knowing the Anthropic’s suspension, the Zoho founder took his X account to share strong arguments that India should prioritise practical AI adoption through smaller and open-source models rather than relying heavily on foreign providers.
“What can our government do right now? Ensure that orgs in India embrace smaller models, both Indian and Chinese open source ones. With a bit of effort, we can make them work,” he wrote.
He also questioned the long-term value of depending on overseas AI companies, asking, “Why pay money to people who don’t even want to sell to you?”
According to Vembu, access to advanced AI technology is increasingly shaped by geopolitics and national security considerations rather than market demand alone.
Building Frontier AI Is Easier Said Than Done
The Cost and Hardware Challenge
Vembu also highlighted the difficulties involved in developing frontier AI systems. He pointed out that training state-of-the-art models requires enormous financial resources and access to advanced graphics processing units (GPUs), many of which are subject to export restrictions.
“We can’t afford the scale of money (of the order of $100+ billion to even get in the game!) and even if we could come up with the money, we can’t get all the GPUs. I would not like to ask the government to fund tens of billions of dollars on this anyway – the money has far better uses,” he wrote.
Despite these hurdles, Vembu said Zoho has been exploring alternative AI research approaches that are “far, far less expensive.” He acknowledged that meaningful breakthroughs take time but stressed the importance of pursuing efficient and practical innovation.
In a separate response on X, he reinforced that view, stating, “We have to put in the effort to make the smaller models work.”
Why the AI Sovereignty Debate Matters
The controversy surrounding Fable 5 and Mythos 5 has added fresh momentum to global discussions about AI sovereignty and technological independence. As governments tighten control over advanced technologies, many countries are reassessing their dependence on a small number of major AI providers.
For India, the episode has become a powerful reminder of the importance of investing in indigenous research, open-source innovation and locally deployable AI systems. The broader question is no longer just about access to cutting-edge technology, but about who controls it and under what conditions it can be used.
